Sripuram Golden Mahalaxmi Temple, vellore

Golden Temple - when
uttered this word,
immediately people
thinks of Amritsar and
the Highest Body of the
Sikh's pride Golden
Temple. But now it has
got a good competition!
Yes, an estimated over
600 Crores of Indian
Rupees spent, to
construct a true Golden
Temple for Goddess
Mahalakshmi, the
presiding deity, (installed
and maintained by Sri
Narayani Peedam) in
this Temple at
Sripuram, which is
situated 6 km away from
the District Headquarters
- Vellore, North Arcot
District in Tamilnadu.
Now, the temple is
complete, open to the
general public; this town
Sripuram has all the
facilities one can visit to
enjoy his/her spiritual
experience.
A Mahalakshmi temple
called 'Sripuram' and
made of more than a ton
of pure gold will glitter
and gleam under the sun
on August 24 when it is
unveiled for consecration
by the Sri Narayani
Peetam headed by a 31-
year-old god man who
calls himself Narayani
Amma. Devotees hail the
temple as 'one of the
wonders of the world'
and say that it is the only
temple covered fully with
gold.
More than 400 gold and
coppersmiths from the
Tirupathi Thirumala
Devasthanam are said to
have worked for six
years to craft the Rs.
600-crore golden
temple located on
55,000 sq ft of land on a
100-acre salubrious
stretch in Malaikodi, about
6 km from Vellore in
north Tamil Nadu.
According to official
sources, the gold bars
were purchased through
RBI in "a transparent
manner "
First the coppersmiths set
to work creating a copper
base on the temple
structure with engravings
and etchings before the
gold, beaten into nine
layers of foils, was
draped around it. The
sanctum sanctorum will
hold the deity of
Mahalakshmi made of
stone granite, but
covered with gold
protection layers.
(Kavacham -
adornments).
" The Sripuram or
Spiritual Park is Amma's
dedication to the world
and mankind," said P
Murali, a trustee of the
Peetam, adding that the
temple has more gold
than the Golden Temple
of Amritsar.
Messages by 'Amma'
have been laid out along
the path to the temple
with messages from the
Gita, Bible and Quran.
"When one enters the
Sripuram, their focus is
just on the magnificent
temple. But when they
leave, they cannot do so
without taking some
messages and gaining
some wisdom,"
according to a booklet
detailing the 'services'
rendered by the Peetam.
"In this quagmire of
materialism, Sripuram
rises as an inspiration to
man to find the divinity
within him," adds a
Narayani Peedam
brochure.
The arrangements were
being made to hire
personnel to throw a
security cover around the
temple. "But the gold
sheets have been laid out
in such a manner that it
would cost more to rip it
off than purchase the
gold," said a top Vellore
district official.
How to reach Sripuram
Golden Mahalakshmi
Temple? Location,
Distance, Route &
contact details:
( Katpadi Longitude 79
Deg. 8' East, Latitude
12 Deg. North 59' )
Whatsoever may the
cause, the Temple
location, its surroundings
and the peaceful
atmosphere are the
added attractions for the
visitors and it is sure
worth to visit this place
once. The Maha Laksmi
Temple is now an
attraction even for the
tourists and pilgrimage.
This temple is located at
Thirumalaikodi; Katpadi
is the nearest Railway
station in the Chennai-
Bangalore route of
Southern Railway. How
to reach Sripuram? It
takes about 3 and half
hours drive from
Chennai, in the Chennai -
Bangalore road. It is in
the National Highways
NH46 that connects
Chennai - Bangalore
(Bangaluru) and in NH4
from Ranipet to
Bangalore. From Katpadi,
one can reach by state
owned bus to Sripuram
which takes about 15
minutes drive or less. Or,
one can reach
Thirumalaikodi by bus
from Vellore to Anicut /
Odugathur route. The
State run buses ply via
Thirumalaikodi in this
route. From Tirupati
(Tirupathi) to Katpadi,
there are shuttle train
services available upto
Katpadi or Jolarpettai
(Jolarpet Passenger) or
one can travel by train
from Tirupathi (Tirupati)
by Kanyakumari Express
from Tirupati to Katpadi
which takes less than 3
hours journey. Direct bus
services available from all
major points to Vellore
from Chennai, Chittoor,
Bangalore, Kanchipuram,
Kanyakumari, Tirupathi &
Thiruvannamalai - all
being major Temple
towns and picnic spots.
Vellore is well connected
by road with all the
southern states viz.
Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala &
Pondicherry. The
approximate distance
from each major station
to Vellore is listed below
for the convenience of
the visitors:
Chennai - Vellore
about 150 kms (Via
Sriperumpudur,
Sunkuwar Chathram,
Kaveripakkam,
Wallajahpet, Ranipet,
Arcot, Ratnagari - or
Arcot by-pass from
Ranipet) - 3 and half
hours drive from
Chennai.
Bangalore - Vellore
(via Hosur) - 220 kms
(On national highway
routes - NH7 > via -
Hosur Road - Electronic
City - Attibele(NH7) -
Hosur - Kamandoddi -
Shoolagiri- Melumalai -
Kurubarapalli - Krishnagiri
> NH46> - Bargur -
Vaniyambadi - Ambur -
Pallikondaj - Vellore. -
around 4 hours drive)
Kanchipuram - Vellore
- 58 kms
Tirupathi - Katpadi - 95
kms
Ranipet - Vellore - 26
kms (via Arcot bypass
- highways 22 kms)
Hyderabad - Vellore -
510 kms
Mysore - Vellore - 270
kms
Thiruvannamalai -
Vellore - 85 kms
Vellore - Sripuram Sri
Mahalakshmi Golden
Temple - 8 KM
While traveling through
National Highways, you
will find many toll gates
where you need to pay
toll fee at different
locations, for private cars,
taxis, vans etc toll fee
ranging from Rs.38 up to
65 and for busses and
trucks the charges are still
more. (valid for entry-exit
24 hours only).
For the benefit of the
visitors, I give the route
map from Katpadi to
Sripuram, supplied by
the Temple at the bottom
of this page.
Temple Darshan
Timings & applicable
current official charges
(donations!) are as below:
Darshan Timing 8 am
to 8 pm on all the 365
days! For those who
want to have darshan
and have enough time
to stand in the queue,
the entry is free.
There is no charges
for the general public
for entry and darshan.
However, those who
are in hurry and limited
time to go through the
normal darshan, there
are some special
arrangements made
for a little fee. One
can avail the available
options across the
counter.
The Sevas available right
now and are likely to be
changed/modified by the
Temple authorities as per
the trustees discretion:
Swarna Pushpa
Archana Seva; In this
seva Archana will be
done with 108 gold
flowers and out of which
one will be given to the
devotee after the archana
seva. The donation for
the seva is 1508/- for a
couple and 1008/- for
one devotee. (All days
from 0800Hrs to
2000Hrs)
Veda Parayana Seva;
In this seva One devotee
will be allowed to sit in
front of goddess
Mahalakshmi and will be
given Aarthi Dharsan
(Mondays to Fridays
0800 to 2000) Rs.250/
per Head
Divya Dharsan Seva; In
this seva one devotee will
be permitted for Divya
dharsan of Goddess
Mahalakshmi. (only
Dharsan- No Aarthi)
Rs.100/ per head on
Saturdays and Sundays
and National Holidays.
Anna Dhana Seva:
Rs.5004/- for four
persons. In this seva,
devotees can have the
Arathi Seva Darshan and
also blessed to distribute
Prasadam to visiting
devotees at the temple.
Timing: 8.00 am
Gho Dhana Seva:
Rs.15,000/- for four
persons. Timings:
Between 4.30 and 8.00
am. By donating a cow
to the Ghosala, the donor
is allowed to parttake in
the Gho pooja at the
Ghosala.
Maha Aarathi Seva: At
6.00 pm after Nivedyam,
one devotee is permitted
sit before the Main Idol,
Sri Mahalakshmi for this
Maha Aarathi.
Sri Sooktha Homam
Seva: In front of the
Goddess Sannithi, at the
Saheshara Deepa
Mandapam, four
deveotess are allowed to
take part in the Sri Suktha
Homam alongwith the
temple priest. Timings:
9.00 to 11 am and 6.00 to
8.00 pm. The Donation
charges are Rs.3006/-
Pushpa Alankara Seva:
By sponsoring for floral
decorations to the Main
deity Sri Lakshmi
Narayani, two devotees
are allowed to sit in front
of the main Idol. Timing:
8.00 am and the
donation charge is
Rs.2007/-
Abhisheka Pooja Seva:
In the morning between
4.30 & 8.00 am, by
donating Rs.3006/- on all
days except Friday
(Fridays, Rs.5004/- is
charged), four devotees
are permitted to take part
in the routines viz.
Abhishekam, Alankaram
& Arathi.
Sri Vastram Seva: If
one wishes, she/he can
offer a 9 yard Silk saree
to Goddess Sri
Mahalakshmi. By this
offering, one donating
devotee is allowed to take
part in the Arathi seva,
between 8.00 am and
8.00 pm and the
donation charges are
Rs.10,008/-
Abishekam: In this seva
4 members are permitted
for Abisekam, Alankaram
and Aarthi Dharsan
Rs.3006/- on all days
except Fridays ...